


Hope is a dangerous thing

by archaeologist_d



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-16
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-05-27 04:23:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6269539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archaeologist_d/pseuds/archaeologist_d
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin's thoughts while battling Alator and Morgana in the cave.  From The Secret Sharer episode</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hope is a dangerous thing

The caves seemed to close in, the torches shrouded with smoke. The knife Morgana had sent towards him hovered just above his skin, waiting impatiently for her command to bury itself in his throat. His heart pounded, and he couldn't catch his breath. Vision tunneling toward Morgana and Alator, he waited for the final words that would end his secret, end his destiny, end whatever game they'd been playing for far too long.

He hadn't want it to come to this. He'd hoped in the depths of his heart that he could redeem Morgana somehow. But her madness flared too bright, and he knew that once she realized who he was, there would be no turning back.

He wasn't even sure he could stop the knife in time.

But as Alator stared down at Merlin, something strange happened. Instead of declaring that Merlin was Emrys, Alator told Morgana nothing, just sent a wave of magic back toward her, rendering her unconscious. And then he pledged himself to Merlin.

Merlin couldn't have been more astonished, but as Alator told him of his own hopes for the future, where magic would be accepted, and those that practiced it welcome in Albion, Merlin's heart soared.

It was Merlin's wish, too, so much, and knowing that he had another ally in the fight to make a better world, the knowledge let him breathe again.

But there was one thing left to do. With Morgana lying there so helpless, so vulnerable, Merlin knew he should kill her before it was too late. But he couldn't, he couldn't. He'd remembered so much of how she'd helped those less fortunate, how she'd opposed Uther's madness at every turn, how she's ridden with Merlin to aid his village. She's been his friend so long ago, and even now, hope almost gone, still he stayed his hand.

She would not die that day. Somehow, he'd redeem her, someday they'd welcome a new, more glorious Albion together. Because while there was life, there was still hope.

And he hoped, too, that he wasn't making the biggest mistake of his life.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; BBC and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.


End file.
